The Economics of Online Advertising

The industry is abuzz about viewable impressions and what a viewable impression currency would mean for the digital and multi-platform advertising industry. This paper helps to advance this industry-wide conversation by using core economic principles of supply and demand to demonstrate how a viewable impression currency will provide a win-win scenario for the buy- and sell-side players in the advertising ecosystem. In particular, the article will focus on the impact of this new currency on the publisher community, where there has arguably been the most debate and uncertainty.